CHASING FOOD DREAMS: An Viet @ Sunway Pyramid

New Vietnamese Street Food Menu

Food has always been consistently delicious at Ăn Viet! Being an ardent fan of Vietnamese cuisine and also having been on a foodie trip to Ho Chi Minh City, I always patronized Ăn Viet whenever I am in Mid Valley area since its first outlet opening. Now with two additional outlets in Sunway Pyramid and another one in Penang at Gurney Plaza, Vietnamese foodie fans can get their fix at different locations easily.

Ăn Viet not only serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine set with a touch of modernity of presentation but also serves as a platform to minimize global food wastage to encourage everyone to play a part in reducing food waste. Ăn Viet or ‘Eat Viet’ also contributes to a social cause by donating RM0.10 to Food Aid Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that collects and distributes food to those in need, when each diner finishes his or her entire meal.

The Vietnamese restaurant is owned by a passionate dynamic duo husband and wife team, William and Caren, who takes their food very seriously thus going all out in making sure Ăn Viet is as authentic as can be and cooked with quality and fresh ingredients. Together with Hanoi Vietnamese Chef Nguyen Kim Tuyen, Ăn Viet’s menu is filled with lots of scrumptious classic street food from the streets of Vietnam.

We are back for a taste of their new menu, jazzed up with improved recipes as well as new additions of Vietnamese delights. At their Sunway Pyramid outlet, Ăn Viet has pots of basil placed on all tables, allowing diners to pluck and wash their own basil to be added to their hot bowls of noodles. A plus point again here since diners only consumed what they need and the rest of the basil is environmentally kept to avoid wastage since fresh herbs do not keep well once it is harvested.

Besides the must-have Cả Phệ Sữa - Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Condensed Milk (RM7.90 | RM8.90) or Cả Phệ Trững - Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Egg (RM9.90), one simply must try their Xả Gừng Nóng Đá – Lemongrass & Ginger Drink (Hot cup – RM7.90) and Nước Chanh & Chanh Xả Kem – Lime Juice with Lemongrass Lime Sorbet (RM10.90).

It is almost obligatory to start a Vietnamese meal with fresh or fried spring rolls. Ăn Viet version of Chả Giò – Deep Fried Spring Roll (RM7.90) is sufficiently satisfying, each mouthful crispy and moreish. Served in a cute steel basket and Ăn Viet’s house made nước chấm made from imported premium fish sauce, these rolls are sure crowd pleasers.

The Vietnamese gets really creative with their classic rice paper in their dishes. Rice paper are practically a staple ingredient everywhere in the country. We’re glad that Ăn Viet is introducing Bánh Tráng Trộn – Rice Paper Green Mango Salad (RM13.90) to our palates. Hardly seen in all the Vietnamese restaurants here, the dish deserves more credit with its burst of sweet, savory, spicy and sour flavours. Not only is the rice paper salad delicious, it is colorful as well full of textures.

We also like the concept of having to pour in as much dressing as we like and give the whole bottle a good dose of shake to mix it all up. Pour the salad into the bowl provided for easy consumption. The rice paper softens a little from the dressing to blend in together with all the other ingredients. Quail eggs are so yummy in this salad.

The more familiar Chạo Tôm – Grilled Sugarcane Prawn (RM11.90) appeared with a side of nước chấm. Batons of sugarcane wrapped with minced prawn paste makes divine bites of appetizers with its soft crustacean sweetness.

One of my most memorable street food in HCMC was a very moreish and simple grilled rice paper snack. Ăn Viet’s Bánh Tráng Nướng – Grilled Rice Paper with Minced Pork (RM9.90) really reminded me of how delicious this street snack was. Crispy grilled rice paper pancake filled with juicy moreish bits of minced pork is a must-order!

We like how Ăn Viet takes their customer feedbacks and improved their version of Phở Bò Đặc Biệt – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (Ala carte – RM23.90 | Set meal – RM27.90). A glorious bowl of deep golden beefy broth, aromatically spiced up and filled with slices of beef, beef brisket, shank, tripe, tendon and beef balls as well as rice noodles.

A side of crunchy beansprouts, a bowl of yu tiao lime wedge, chili sauce and a bowl of water to wash your freshly picked basil leaves, one can jazz up their own bowl of pho to their liking. The broth is beautiful in flavours. Just the right balance of beefy goodness with subtle hints of spice, I happily slurped my bowl of pho with much satisfaction.

If beef is not to your preference, the Bún Sườn – Vietnamese Vermicelli Soup with Pork Rib & Bamboo Shoot (Ala carte – 19.90 | Set meal – 23.90) is just as delicious if not better. There is soft nuances of sweetness in the meaty broth along with tender pork ribs and crispy bamboo shoots along with thin rice noodles that made this bowl so satisfying.

There’s also a dry noodle of Bún Gà – Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Vermicelli (Ala carte – RM16.90 | Set meal – RM20.90). Soft thin rice noodles are crowned with smoky chargrilled chicken marinated with lots of lemongrass, lettuce, fried shallots, crushed peanuts and a side of classic fish sauce dressing. Expect lots of umami flavours with lots of textures in this noodle. It’s practically a staple in the streets of Vietnam with each one having their own version.

If there is one unique dish to try at Ăn Viet, its Chả Cá Lã Vọng – Hanoian Style Fish with Tumeric & Dill (Ala carte – RM23.90 | Set meal – RM27.90)! This Hanoian style fish is beautifully tinted with fresh turmeric and scented with lots of fresh dill. Heated on a portable stove, the fish is usually enjoyed with fresh rice noodles and fish sauce dressing as well.

Enjoy the fish on a small helping of rice noodles along with some fish sauce dressing and fresh herbs for the full flavour experience. The fish is nicely firm and tender with piquant hints and sweet notes from onions. The aniseed aroma of the dill really brought out freshness in the dish which I enjoyed very much.

If you still have not tried another Vietnamese classic dish of pork cooked in coconut juice, you should. Ăn Viet’s Lợn kho Nước Dừa – Braised Pork Belly in Coconut Juice (Ala carte – RM17.90 | With rice – RM19.90 |Set meal – RM23.90) epitomized the wondrous pairing of pork belly with coconut juice. Leaning towards the natural sweetness of coconut, the melt-in-the-mouth pork belly has just the right amount of sublime savory notes that goes so well with steamed rice. One also gets a braised egg thrown in for extra pleasure.

Bánh Mì– Dậu Phụ Với Pate Nằm (Chay) – Vietnamese Baguette with Tofu Patty & Mushroom Pate (RM14.90) proves that some vegetarian dish is so good, one won’t even miss the meat. Very tasty with a delicate earthy mushroom note, the crispy baguette also has lots of crunch factor from fresh veggies that made this sandwich a delicious one.

End your meal at Ăn Viet with their housemade Caramel Pudding (RM6.90). If there is one word to sum up this dessert, it would be divine! Rich and luscious soft egg custard with glorious caramel is so good, sharing is not recommended!

Ăn Viet has really brought more Vietnamese dishes to our shores. All dishes are made from scratch and dishes here are always consistently good. The set meals are value-for-money, especially if you’re a big eater opting for more variety in your meal. Now if only Ăn Viet opens nearer to my house, I would be enjoying more yummy Vietnamese dishes daily.

ĂN VIET @ SUNWAY PYRAMID

LG2 127A, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall,

No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15,

Bandar Sunway,

47500 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +603 5611 2226

ĂN VIET @ THE GARDENS MALL, MID VALLEY

LG-203B, The Gardens Mall

Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City,

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603 2201 1191

ĂN VIET @ GURNEY PLAZA, PENANG